The Hypocrisy of Blood
by Kaitou X
Summary: Murtagh returns from the Burning Plains, leaving Eragon behind. What horrors await him this time? What tortures could be terrible enough for him to swear another oath against his own blood? Most is in Murtagh's POV. Continues from after the Burning Plains
1. Chapter 1

**(Set after the end of Eldest. Murtagh returns from leaving Eragon in the Burning plains.)

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Murtagh looked out towards the east, feeling the cool crisp wind on his sweaty face. Sighing, he closed his eyes.

_Thorn. Did I hurt him?_ asked a distraught Murtagh.

_I'm sorry Murtagh, but I think you did hurt him_, replied Thorn, solemnly.

_Do you think I hurt him bad?_

_Yes. Very._

_I thought I would be happy about that you know. That bastard. He gets everything. And he still has the guts to call me evil. Dammit it Thorn! Why do I feel so guilty!_

_Because you love him Murtagh. He shares the base of all your hate. Morzon. You know better than I do about your relief. That you can now share it with someone. It's not that it won't hurt, Murtagh. But that burden is too much for you to carry on your shoulders alone._

Murtagh slowly nodded, reflecting on Thorn's gems of wisdom. Thorn had only been alive for a few months, yet he was the wiser than any human scholar that ever lived.

Thinking about what was to come, Murtagh asked Thorn: _Are you ready?_

_No, but neither are you. There's no avoiding it, Murtagh. We saved the last hope of the Varden and we must pay the price._

With a sick feeling in his gut, Murtagh turned towards Galbatorix's castle, where he knew Galbatorix was waiting, along with untold tortures and punishment. Looking down, Murtagh shuffled through the unbreakable front gates, and continued into the castle.

~*~

"Well, well, well. Look who you came without," said Galbatorix smiling as Murtagh walked into the throne room. Murtagh stopped in front of the elaborate jeweled stairs. He looked at the designs of the gold for a second before slowly kneeling on his leg and knee. He bowed his head, waiting for the pain to begin. He tried not to run away when he heard Galbatorix stepping down slowly. But he couldn't help the shaking. He could never help the shaking.

"You poor thing. Look what that battle did to you. How about you go and take a bath before we talk about what happened. I promise I'm not angry," he said sweetly. His voice was like slick oil, ready to burst into flames.

"I'd rather get this over with," braved Murtagh, looked Galbatorix in the eye with as much hate and defiance as could. Galbatorix's smiled faded, causing Murtagh to pale to a chalky white color. In his head, he cursed himself as much as possible.

Galbatorix grabbed Murtagh's hair, scratching open the skin of his scalp in the process. "What was that?" asked Galbatorix, holding Murtagh's face close to his. Murtagh tried his best to not look in his eyes, but he was forced to. The moment he glimpsed into those dark red eyes, he saw the insanity, despair, and rage, almost like a shade's. Except a shade's eye cannot freeze your heart the way Galbatorix's did. Murtagh forgot to even breathe while he was staring at those two red pits of hell. When he was about to suffocate, Galbatorix got up and walked out of the throne room, dragging Murtagh from behind.

Murtagh, still recovering from the after-affects of Galbatorix's stare, didn't notice where he was. But he looked around and knew he was under the castle, in the slave bathing caves. He was wrong, and he was about to find out how wrong.

Gravel crunched behind him. He whirled around; wounds from the previous fight aching slightly. He squinted in the dim light and couldn't see Galbatorix smiling only inches away from his face. Galbatorix grabbed his hair and dragged him towards what Murtagh had thought was a lake.

"Do you see this 'water'?" asked Galbatorix. "What color does it look like to you?"

Murtagh would have answered "clear" if he wasn't busy eating the gravel that Galbatorix was burying his face in. The gravel scratched at his mouth and cut his lips in several places but Murtagh didn't notice. If he looked at the water closely, he could see that it was slightly yellow-green.

"It's really cool. It'll freshen you up. I'm sure you're just dying to wash the grime and blood off yourself. Am I right? Am I right?" asked Galbatorix, smiling again. "Here, let your nose have a feel real quick."

Hearing the gleefulness of Galbatorix's voice caused a sharp twist of fear in Murtagh's gut. He desperately tried to wriggle out of the Crazy Kings grasp but to no avail. He could only watch as his nose was forced towards the mysterious liquid. As soon as the tip of his nose was submerged in the liquid, Murtagh knew what it was. Sulfuric Acid. (Why Galbatorix has a lake of this, I don't know. Also, the acid must not be that strong because it doesn't melt him that much.)

Before his face was pushed closer into the acid, Murtagh let out a shriek. (A manly shriek that is.) Galbatorix let go and watched as Murtagh crawled backwards, got up, and ran blindly in the darkening light. He suddenly slammed into a hard rock wall. Feeling for an exit, Murtagh moved his hands along the wall until he felt hard, cold armor. Before his reflexes could kick in, Murtagh was dragged kicking and screaming by Galbatorix's gauntleted hands.

"You're right Murtagh. Beginning with your face isn't right. First you should wash your hands."

"No! NO! Let go of me! I hate you! I hate you!" screamed Murtagh, rather pathetically.

"And I really don't care," replied Galbatorix. "Relax, the acid's not that strong, it'll only melt through some of your flesh. That's how we can assure all the grime is gone."

"Damn you! I hope you die the most painful and lonely—" Before Murtagh could finish, Galbatorix dipped Murtagh's right arm up till the elbow in the pool that Murtagh could not see. Galbatorix lit a small werelight so that Murtagh could see the steam rising from his arm. But Murtagh was too busy screaming in agony to see his flesh evaporating.

Of all the times Galbatorix had tortured him, this was by far the worst. He'd been beaten, burned, broken and cut, but he had never been _melted_.

"Please… stop…" pleaded Murtagh. Galbatorix simply continued examining the still steaming arm of Murtagh. Murtagh's arm was shaking so much that it looked like it was vibrating. Galbatorix blew on it a little, causing Murtagh clench his teeth in pain.

_I can take this_… tried Murtagh desperately. But both he and Galbatorix knew that if he had to dip his arm once more in that acid, Murtagh would be willing to swear any oath that Galbatorix asks of him._ No, I can't think like that! What doesn't kill me can only make me stronger, _thought Murtagh to himself. He was concentrating so hard on those words that he didn't notice Galbatorix's presence in his mind.

"Is that so?" asked Galbatorix, not at all amused that Murtagh thought he could resist. "How about this." Before he made a move to do anything Murtagh yanked his hand out of Galbatorix's loosening grip. He was about to run when Galbatorix's gauntleted hand gripped his neck and lifted him off the ground. Murtagh gagged as he tried to breathe. Galbatorix held him over the lake of acid and dropped him.

~*~

Murtagh felt the damp before he saw it. Moaning quietly, he opened his eyes. His eyes were crusted and red from dryness. He felt a salty sting all over his arms and up to his knees. As he became more awake the small sting rose to a raw and sharp pain of having no skin. If it weren't so cold he wouldn't have been able to stand the pain. He dared to look at his bare arm. It wasn't skinless, but some of it was missing in places. Dried blood was caked all over his arms and legs, but he knew that the bleeding stopped by the store of magic Galbatorix saved for him. The dark told him that he was in a prisoners cell. He should be close enough to Thorn to sense him.

_Thorn… THORN! Please, just answer me… _screamed Murtagh, through his mind. The small action left him exhausted. He felt a small pressure in the back of his conscience and he knew it was Thorn. When he tried to access his mind, Thorn refused to let him in. That was the only hint he needed. Instead of battering his dragon's mind to help share the pain, he slipped back into sleep.

~*~

He awoke again, a few hours later, because of a presence banging on his mind. All his wounds were healed and he felt as if he just awoke from a long, good sleep. He turned his head and caught the eye of his dragon, looking at him with the concerned look of a parent, rather than a friend. He reached his hand out and stroked the wing membrane that shrouded him.

_Thorn… Are you alright?_

_Of course. Once again we are healed and we stand before the one who enslaves us, ready to submit ourselves even further._

"Thorn, remove your wing if he is awake," said a deep, evil voice that could only belong to one person. Murtagh cautiously got up, looking down on the tiles of the floor.

"I made a mistake last time, when I made you swear your oath. I won't make it again. Now tell me, Murtagh, Thorn, will you swear to capture Eragon and Saphira no matter what the cost unless it be your lives or your capture? Or shall we have another round in the yellow lake?" asked Galbatorix, in the same monotone voice he used earlier.

Murtagh's mind was in chaos. He was digging even deeper into his grave. He didn't want to suffer that much ever again. He especially didn't want Thorn to go through the same thing again. But how low must he sink before Galbatorix would let him go? Memories of his punishments ran through his head. _I've already dug my grave deep enough that I can't get out… There is no reason that I should suffer more only to reach the same outcome_, he thought.

He slowly looked up at his master's face with eyes filled with hopelessness and despair. He recited, in the ancient language: "I swear I will capture Eragon and Saphira no matter what the cost unless it be my life or my capture." Thorn followed suit, projecting his thoughts out towards Galbatorix.

Smiling, Galbatorix stood from his throne. He walked up to Murtagh, towering more than a head over him. (He was taller than Murtagh is what I'm saying.) "Wonderful news isn't? You should be happy, you saved yourself a lot of pain." With that, he walked away, leaving Murtagh and Thorn to drown in their guilt and despair.

_I suffered so much for you, Eragon. How will you make it up to me? By renouncing our blood, or by saving me?_ thought Murtagh, bitterly, as he and Thorn left the Throne room. _Or… by killing me?

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_**Authors Note****: This is a one-shot unless I suddenly decide otherwise. If you read this, you MUST review. If you don't, how will I know you read it?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Eragon, calm down_, said Saphira, very calmly, although her patience was running thin.

_NO! I will not accept it! There is no way that I can share blood with those two traitors. TRAITORS!_ Screamed Eragon. The last word accidentally escaped his mouth. Not that there was anyone around to hear it. _I can't believe it. Even though Murtagh was Morzon's son, I was willing to believe that he was good. But he became just like his father. He is EVIL! If I were in his place, I would never turn against the Varden._

_Eragon! You can't say that unless you have actually experienced it! We still don't know the entire story. And Murtagh said himself that he didn't want to join, _said Saphira.

_So I should be sympathetic towards him? He's my friend Saphira. Or he was. But I can't let that get between the war. If he is in the opposite side, I must eliminate him. That is what war is_, said Eragon, sadly.

_So you admit you don't hate him?_

_Saphira, I don't want to hate him, but I do. He tried to capture us!_

_But he didn't._

_But he will, next time he gets a chance. We have no choice but to kill them. He even killed Hrothgar! He is not welcome in the Varden anymore._

_Well, you are right. There is nothing you can do Eragon. There is no reason for you to worry. If anything, he and his red worm should be shaking in fear for facing the strongest Dragon Rider ever!_

Eragon smiled sadly. _If you say so. It's impossible to stay sad around you. But Hrothgar… There will be trouble if they found out who my father and brother were. We must keep it a secret._

Saphira blinked in agreement. They carried on what they were doing: cleaning a battlefield.

~*~

Murtagh woke with a small pain in the side of his neck. He got up slowly, looking for the cause. He had been sleeping on Thorn's hind leg and had slipped off, his head still leaning against it while his neck had fought to become perpendicular with the floor.

"Thorn…" he said out loud, while yawning. He smiled. It's been two days since he swore the oath and he hadn't been hurt too badly since. A few slaps here and a few "mind crushes" there. He got up and looked at what Thorn was doing. Eating… obviously.

_It's a shame that you humans can't enjoy the savory flavor of fresh, raw meat_, said Thorn.

_I'm a little too civilized for that,_ replied Murtagh, calmly. Thorn growled a little and nipped at Murtagh with blood-covered fangs. Nearly being decapitated Murtagh jumped back about 10 feet.

_You're more like a frightened cat that can barely hunt._

_What? I don't see the resemblance._

_Then go wash your face and wake up fully. You're obviously half-asleep._

_Of course, of course._

As he headed out of his straw-bedded room, he nearly slammed into the nervous wreck of a servant who was carrying his breakfast. The servant let out a surprised cry when he saw Murtagh. He tried to kneel to him while balancing the tray but failed miserably.

"Give me that!" said Murtagh, snatching his breakfast before the servant dropped it. The servant kneeled successfully while Murtagh started eating with his unwashed mouth.

"K-king Galbatorix would like to meet with you when you have finished your meal, Lord Murtagh," he stammered.

"That's great," said Murtagh as he turned on his heel and went back to his and Thorn's room.

"He said to come with Zar'roc!" called the servant after Murtagh nearly closed the door on him. Murtagh simply nodded while stuffing his face with bread and closed the door.

_I change my mind, you're more like a pig_, said Thorn; he just couldn't resist.

Murtagh shot him a mild glare. He could never be angry with his only ally. _At least I don't smell like one_. What he meant was that he,_ himself_, did not smell like a pig, not that _Thorn_ had smelled like one. But Thorn had "misinterpreted" it, even though he had full access to Murtagh's thoughts, and he ate the rest of Murtagh's breakfast, including the cheap wooden plate, in one gulp.

"Hey! I was going to eat that!" he complained.

_Then be careful about what you say to a dragon next time._

Murtagh growled at Thorn, along with his stomach. Thorn let out a deep-throated hearty laugh at this.

"Hmph. See if I share any of my food with you again," he said, indignantly.

An evil glint appeared in Thorn's eye, _Oh, but you will._

The contagiousness of Thorn's mood melted the scowl right off Murtagh's face and he went up and leaned against Thorn's leg. He sat there for about five minutes before saying, "I love you, Thorn."

_I love you too, my fallen knight_, replied Thorn

Murtagh smiled and stroked Thorn's front leg before walking to his small trunk. He opened it with a spell and got out Zar'roc and a brown cloak. He was still fastening it on before he walked out the door, only turning for a second to get a last glance at Thorn. With a sad look on his face, he walked towards Galbatorix's Throne room, looking at the floor the entire time.

~*~

Murtagh had strapped Zar'roc to his waist and his hooded cloak was fully covering him. He knocked on the oversized throne room doors. He shivered. Most of his misery had taken place in this room. He walked in as the doors opened.

"Murtagh. Glad you could make it less than 5 minutes late," said Galbatorix. He wasn't particularly angry but it obviously soured his mood.

"My apologies, Lord Galbatorix," he said, as he kneeled by the jeweled stairs. He had to try hard not to spit the name out in disgust. He hadn't been given any impossible tasks for two days now and he didn't want to ruin it.

"I have a mission for you, young dragon rider. It's a rather easy one so there is no reason for you to fail. Understood?"

Murtagh nodded. _Whenever he says it's easy, it turns out even harder than I could have thought possible. It's a wonder that I completed any of them,_ thought Murtagh.

"You will not be bringing Thorn with you. So prepare yourself because you may be gone for more than a week," he said, in his scary monotone that he used sometimes.

Murtagh looked up. "Without Thorn… for a week? What am I going to be doing?" he asked, slightly angry and already feeling the depression weigh down on his head.

"Fear not, slave, I will lend you his Eldunari. Thorn's wisdom should keep you from making stupid decisions." Hearing this, Murtagh clenched his fists. He would have shot back a comment of his own, but thought against it for fear of losing the chance to be with Thorn's tiny Eldunari.

"But before I give you that, I must help you prepare to look the part."

"Huh?" was all Murtagh got to say before Galbatorix's fist slammed into his face.

"Gah!" he spit, as he slid to a stop. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You'll see."

Murtagh was still spitting out some blood from the inside of his cheek when he was suddenly covered in ash. "Mmph!" he tried to breathe. He spit that out from his mouth too and tried to get up so he could dust it off his head when he was slapped on the other cheek. Hard.

"This is actually quite fun. I should do this often. You should hope that I don't get carried away," said Galbatorix. He grabbed Murtagh's neck and set his feet on the ground so that Murtagh could stand. He let go and walked towards the door behind his throne. When he got back from what he was doing, Murtagh had almost brushed off all the excess ash.

"What the hell are you doing? If this is your sick idea of a joke, I—" He suddenly cut himself off when Galbatorix dangled a golden necklace in front of him. The pendent had a marble-sized ruby that was Thorn's Eldunari. Murtagh greedily snatched at it only to have Galbatorix take it back.

"You don't _actually_ think that I'm just going to _give_ this to you, do you? Obviously not. The consequences would be significant. Swear to me, boy, that you will not take this off until I tell you, and you will only use it to speak with Thorn and listen to his ideas. You will also not allow anyone to touch it. Then I will entrust it to you."

Murtagh's heart sank a little. He wasn't actually hoping that he wouldn't have to swear an oath, but he didn't want to either. "I swear I will only use it to speak with Thorn and I will not take it off unless you tell me to. And I will not let anyone touch it," he replied. He was so eager to receive the gorgeous Eldunari that his fingers were twitching.

"_That's a good slave_," said Galbatorix, putting the Eldunari around Murtagh's neck. Although he was preoccupied with the new trinket, being called a slave again stuck in his mind and would reappear later, he was sure.

"Now here's your mission. A soldier came with a very, very interesting report of a vicious housekeeper with the reflexes equal to yours. Your job is to beg for a place to stay and a job so you can keep an eye on her. I will communicate with you through Thorn. I will decide if her skills can be useful to our cause and you will capture her. Do NOT, under any circumstances, underestimate her. Even when no one is around, do not do anything to betray your identity. Understood?" Murtagh nodded. "If possible, try to befriend her and gain her trust. It will make things easier for you. Also, don't take a shower until you get there. You will travel on horseback most of the way, then walk the last bit to reduce suspicion."

"And if I fail, by any chance?" asked Murtagh.

"You better not. You don't want to know what would happen." With that Galbatorix left. But not without concluding his speech. Even though he was out of sight, his words echoed through the hall: "Go to the east stable, there is a stall boy who will direct you to where to go and will give you your horse."

Murtagh fingered his new necklace. _Yes, Murtagh?_ Murtagh jumped back a little at the sound of Thorn's voice.

_Whoa, it works! _he said.

_Of course it works, you ditz!_ Murtagh smiled like a who child just got candy, and walked out the throne room, heading for the east wing.

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**A/N: As you can probably see, I'm going to try to drag an OC into this. Any suggestions on what she should be like? I was originally considering a guy OC, but it might cause some controversy and I don't want that on my head. Please review if you've read. Questions, comments, anything.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Murtagh yawned as he put his hand on his new brown horse. The mare was quite young and had a gorgeous black mane.

"Your instructions are to leave the mare in Finney's stall that you will find on your way. Galbatorix said he will direct you once you are closer to it," said the small stall boy. He was only about twelve and looked as if he resented Murtagh for taking the mare.

"What's her name?" asked Murtagh, feeling sympathetic for the boy.

"Huh?" he asked, slightly confused.

"The mare, what's her name?"

The stall boy flushed a little. Smiling slightly he said, "Syzel." [seyah-ZEL]

Murtagh patted the boy's head, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."

"Thank you," he replied, after gingerly handing Murtagh his travel pack. Then he turned around and fled back to the castle.

Murtagh stared at the boys shrinking back as he opened his pack. It was small so he knew that he wasn't going to have a change of clothes for a while. Inside was a few pieces of hard tack and hardly a pint of water. _What?! Is he planning to dehydrate me to death?! And what about the mare! How will she get water?_

Thorn replied sarcastically. _Maybe he overestimated your intelligence. I hope you do realize that you still have magic._

_But with a water skin this small, I'll be stopping for water at least 6 times a day! And the food will barely last an hour!_

_I guess that's the point. He wants you to look totally miserable when you get there. That's what the ash is for. It makes your skin look terrible._

Murtagh groaned in irritation. _At least I don't have to kill people this time_. The thought of not killing innocent people made him happy. _But I'll have to avoid making friends. That would just be too big of a burden._

_Murtagh…_ sighed Thorn.

_What?_ asked his confused rider.

_Never mind._

_Don't worry Thorn. Even if I refuse to make more friends, I'm not a totally anti-social bastard._

_As if I could believe that._

"Che," was all Murtagh said as he lightly kicked the sides of the mare and rode out of the castle. "This is going to be a long trip." (Poor Murtagh, he has no idea.)

~*~

Akai pulled her shoulder-length hair back, and tied it behind her neck with a piece of twine. The hair that was too short to fit in the back fell back to the side of her face. "Ugh," she said, in annoyance. She ignored the piece of hair and put on her water-resistant gloves. She was required by her master to keep her hands out of the lye so that her hands did not become hard and cracked.

_"You can't be a prince with hands like the old maid! Mommy! Tell her to be prince-like." The old woman sighed with a smile on her face._

_"I'll give you some gloves so that the lye doesn't touch your hands. Playing with our daughter will be an important part of your job. It's also quite entertaining so I hope you enjoy it," said the master's wife._

_"Of course…" replied Akai._

_These gloves are so annoying. How am I supposed to wash these and then hang them to dry without getting soap on them all over again! _she thought. _Damn rich people._

When she finished them, she tried her best to hang them up to dry. Half of them became soaked once again. Making sure no one was looking, she quietly muttered something under her breath. The clothes steamed and were dry within seconds. Smiling to herself, she cleaned up the small laundry yard, washed her hands, and brought in the now-dry clothes.

"Akai!" yelled the small 4-year-old girl. "Sebastian stole my candy!"

Akai sighed. _This girl is so irritating_. Akai always hated spoiled kids. Thankfully, Suzan, the little girl, was the only one who acted like one.

"Aww, is that so? He's being a bad-boy isn't he?" asked Akai, sarcastically. Sebastian, who was standing near the stairs, giggled at this.

"You hear that Sebastian! She said you're a bad boy!" said Suzan. "You have to give me my candy back!"

Akai looked at him with a sweet smile. He visibly blushed and reluctantly gave Suzan her candy back. "Thank you Sebastian. That was very gentleman-like of you."

"There's nothing gentleman-like about that bastard!" blurted out Suzan.

"Now where did you learn about that?" asked a lady in her mid-thirties.

"Mommy!" yelled Suzan. She went to give her mother a hug but she was stopped when her mother picked her up and set her on a chair.

"Now don't use bad language Suzan. That's very _un_lady-like of you."

"But mommy…"

"No 'buts'. They're just excuses," she said as she picked up her daughter. Akai rolled her eyes. "Oh, and Akai." Akai looked up immediately. "Please watch your language around Suzan. And you can go ahead and set the clothes in my closet."

Akai did a small curtsy. "Of course, Lady Phyllis." When the woman and the girl were out of sight, Akai couldn't help but mutter (once again), "Damn rich people." Sebastian laughed.

"Hey, can you—" he started, but was promptly cut off.

"No I can't. But what I _can _do is make your dinner, like I'm supposed to." She was about to go towards the kitchen when there was a desperate banging at the door, which stopped as promptly as it started.

"I'll get it!" called Sebastian, as he ran towards the door. Akai followed, incase it was another beggar.

~*~

Murtagh had been riding for an hour before a demon grew in his stomach and tried to convince him to eat all his food.

_Damn you Thorn! Taking my food like that!_

_It was your fault, and you know it_, he replied, calmly, and smug since he was perfectly full.

Murtagh sighed. It was only about a day's ride to Finney's stall. He should probably be able to get food when he gets there, so it would be okay if he just ate one…

-

Murtagh growled at Thorn as his hearty laughing filled his head. Murtagh was even hungrier than before. And had only been 6 hours since he ate all his food at once. He was about to make a witty comment when a deep monotone voice chilled his blood.

_"Slow the horse down when you get in sigh of the gates. Pull your hood over and make sure your face isn't seen. Hold up your crest when you get there, but don't raise your head. It's not that I expect anything to go wrong, it's just that you're an unreliable slave_," instructed Galbatorix.

Murtagh followed the instructions, hiding his smirking face. _Unreliable, eh? That sounds good._

Murtagh held his crest out so that the guards could see it. "What's wrong?" asked a particularly big guard. "Afraid to show your face?"

Murtagh replied with a hiss. "You seem eager to lose your family." The man straightened up and opened the gates. Murtagh headed in without further question.

_"Down the alley on the left. Leave the horse. There. Finney will come down himself and retrieve it. You, in the mean while, will be walking towards the large brown stone house at the end of the next city. It's not as long as it seems."_

_"Okay… that doesn't seem too bad. Wait… I'm not actually going to meat Finney? Then how am I going to get food? I have no money to buy any. Are you planning to starve me?!"_

_"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. The hungrier you look, the more likely you will be able to trick anyone of any intelligence. Or, if you're really hungry, I have no problem if you beg."_

_"No, no thank you,"_ replied Murtagh, grimacing. He glanced longingly at a nearby restaurant. He walked in the direction that Galbatorix told him.

-

It was almost dawn by the time he arrived at the end of the current city. It was more like a village really. Not civilized or anything like the bigger cities. _It's not even on the damn map!_ thought Murtagh.

Murtagh got to the other village very fast. They were surprisingly close. That was until he saw the charred remains of houses. _It seems this used to be one big city instead of two small town/village things._

_It seems you're right, Murtagh,_ answered Thorn.

_Where's the King?_

_He's attending other issues. He can still hear us though._

_Dang it! Whatever. Thorn, is it possible for you to send me any food ?My stomach has been talking more than the people in this village. And trust me. They talk a lot._

_If you're so hungry, than just beg like Galbatorix told you to._

_No way! You know I would never do that!_

_You're about to when you get to the house. It's going to take you till tomorrow night to get there. You might as well practice now, so that the household will think that you are really a genuine beggar._

Murtagh groaned. He was about to consider Thorn's idea, when another one popped into his head. He didn't tell this to Thorn though, because he knew that it would be rejected. He was going to steal some food.

_Murtagh, you're not planning to steal food are you?_

_What?! How did you know?_

_Lucky guess. You can't do that, what if you are caught and the family will not take in a thief._

_Well I'm sorry but my hunger isn't big enough to cover my pride. And since you're so far away, you can't stop me!_

A big dragon sigh filled his head. _Don't blame me when you piss someone off._

_I won't._ Eyeing a weak bread shop owner, a plan began to form in his head.

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**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Please review. It really helps. Constructive criticism welcomed. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I haven't written anything since the eighth grade, so please forgive me if I change the storyline... I'm pretty sure I remember where the story was going... but I don't have any plan, so I don't think I'll finish the story. And I don't have Microsoft word, so expect many spelling and grammatical errors... If it gets too cliché, please tell me... I might write a little halfheartedly, but I really enjoy writing...**

* * *

Murtagh stalked towards the unsuspecting old man behind the bread stall. It was becoming dark so not many townsfolk were out. As he approached the old man, he heard a quiet sob. He looked around and noticed that it was the old man. Despite being half-starved and determined to eat, he felt a pang of sympathy. He stood up straight from his low crouch and approached him.

"It's pretty late outside. Shouldn't you close your shop?" asked Murtagh. The old man replied without looking up.

"Today… today was the last day before the debt collectors came… I haven't paid for my house yet and my son is sick… I can't afford a doctor… and we'll live on the streets by tomorrow…" sobbed the old man. He covered his face with his hands and sank to his knees. Murtagh sighed.

_I hope Thorn isn't listening in on me… _he thought to himself, reaching into his deep pocket.

_I'm always listening, Murtagh, _rumbled Thorn's deep voice. _There is absolutely nothing else to do. And even if there was, would I just abandon you? Our King is not, however with me…_

Murtagh smiled to himself. _Of course,_ he replied. Out loud he called to old man.

"Old man!" he called, fingering a large gold nugget in his pocket.

_Murtagh, considering his status, a gold coin would be too suspicious to use. Just give him your bag of change._

Murtagh readily complied, realizing the problem. Murtagh knelt down to the old man's ear and whispered.

"For certain circumstances, I need to dress like a beggar. I'll give you this money; it should help. However, I need you to pretend that I am a beggar and begged you for bread."

The old man's eyes widened as Murtagh handed him the heavy bag of copper coins. One copper coin would be worth a few loaves of bread, however, Murtagh casually ran away with only one. He didn't give the old man a chance to thank him.

_Am I pathetic, Thorn? Even though I've killed so many innocent people, I still try to be a hero _said Murtagh, finishing the last of his first meal of the day.

Thorn sighed before answering. It was a long deep melancholic sigh. _If you feel pathetic, Murtagh, just think of it as your true self acting around Galbatorix's evil. If we weren't controlled by him, we would try to be heroes like Eragon, right?_

_ O-of course we would! _snapped Murtagh. The small loaf of bread did not satiate his monstrous hunger. _Eh… sorry. Where's Galbatorix, I need directions…_

_ Haven't I always told you to refer to me as your Lord? _asked a sadistically oily voice. Based on the surprise he felt from thorn, Murtagh assumed Galbatorix appeared suddenly. _You are not too far from the home we look for. Take a right and keep going straight until you reach high country. The house you look for is the smallest one with an ancient tree behind it, _instructed "his Lord". Galbatorix left Thorn without waiting for an answer.

_It seems everyone is in a hurry today, _said Thorn. _You should try to reach your destination before dark falls. _Murtagh sent back an agreement and took off in a light run.

_You know Thorn…_started Murtagh, breaking the silence. _ I find it funny that Galbatorix uses ancient slang like "high country". He really is old! _Thorn chuckled at his comment.

* * *

Thorn simply sat in his straw bed the entire day. He had a bed outside and inside, but without Murtagh, he was too lethargic to go outside. He rested his large head on his forepaws like a cat, swinging his tail side to side. While he was looking through Murtagh's eyes at the world he was in, Thorn also looked around in his empty-without-Murtagh room. Thorn suddenly lifted his head, alerted.

A soft knock came from the door. Thorn allowed him in with a short snarl. A somewhat tall and slim figure stepped inside. He was covered in a black cloak with long voluminous sleeves and a large hood covering his head and hiding his face.

"Thorn…" he said, quietly.

_Gremlin… _said Thorn. Through Murtagh's memories, Thorn had seen the figure many times. He was a tall and willowy character and also Murtagh's teacher of magic, herbs, and the art of sword fighting. At first Galbatorix taught Murtagh himself, but became quickly bored and irritated at Murtagh's lack of progress so he assigned Gremlin to the task. Even though Gremlin had been teaching Murtagh for weeks, months, Murtagh had yet to see his face.

"Galbatorix wants to know how Murtagh is doing," said Gremlin, in a smooth, amiable voice.

Thorn thought about it for a second. At the moment, Murtagh was busy comparing the sizes of all the houses. He also snuck into the backyards of every one of them to see if he could find an ancient oak.

_He's having a bit of trouble finding the house, _stated Thorn, flatly.

"Ah, is that so? May I send you an image of the house with its location? Also the ancient oak is very large. He should be able to see it from anywhere in the vicinity."

Thorn sniffed a little. While Gremlin knew Murtagh was being inefficient, he did not show any arrogance or spite while helping. Thorn appreciated him a little more.

_Ah, that would help, _said Thorn, opening his mind to the mysterious Gremlin. Gremlin nodded and sent Thorn a clear and a vibrant image of a lonely house on a hill. A giant, thick oak tree rose above the house from behind, but what caught Thorn's attention was the quality of the image. Before he could inquire about it, Gremlin had silently left.

_Murtagh, I have an image that will help you find the house. I never knew you were so bad with directions. _

Murtagh huffed indignantly. _It's getting so dark, and I'm thirsty and hungry and—_

_ Anyway, I have an image sent to me by Gremlin_, cut off Thorn. _ He's an odd creature. The image he sent me is so detailed and colorful that I doubt he's human. It's something to investigate when you get back. _

_ Why don't _you_ investigate it? _asked Murtagh, as he examined the image he received. _Oh! I know where that hill is! I can't believe I missed that._

_ Are you admitting your mistake? That's so mature of you._

_ You know what? You wait till I get back; just wait!_

_ And you'll do… what? _asked Thorn, challengingly as Murtagh knocked on the target's door. Murtagh didn't reply as he got into his beggar mode. But deep inside, he knew he wouldn't do anything.

Murtagh heard a few sets of steps coming towards the door as he hunched over.

* * *

"Wait Sebastian, I'm supposed to get the door," said Akai, pulling Sebastian back by his collar. Sebastian tried to argue but tightened his collar around his neck, cutting his words off, and shoved him behind her. Lady Phyllis and Suzan were just peeking from behind the stairs.

She opened the door slowly and examined what was in front of her. She swiftly closed the door before anyone else could see.

"Waait!" yelled Sebastian. "Who was it?" Suzan ran and joined him and looked at Akai with big curious eyes. Lady Phyllis simply got bored and walked away.

"It was… It was just a dog. A stinky, smelly dog. We should wait till it leaves. Yeah, that's a good plan."

Sebastian and Suzan looked at her with surprise.

"A _dog_?" asked Sebastian, incredulously. "A dog _knocked_ on our door?"

"I wanna see!" squealed Suzan, jumping up and down.

_Maybe a dog was not a good idea… _thought Akai, as the two children double-teamed on her and opened the door. Both children stopped suddenly, staring at the odd stranger.

* * *

**A/N: So two OCs so far… I think the story is moving much slower than I wanted it too… It makes it hard to write… Well, anyway, R&R pweeease… Btw, I know that the previous chapters are riddled with grammatical errors and idiocy, but I'm now a HS junior and too lazy to go back and fix it. I also have to read the books again…**


	5. Chapter 5

Murtagh heard something violent as the footsteps approached. He was not listening too closely, on account of his parched throat, and ravenous hunger, but he was sure he heard someone getting choked.

_Thorn… this household is violent… _giggled Murtagh, softly. Murtagh listened closely as he heard a female. The door opened, revealing a young girl with short, brown, chin length hair. She looked at him for a moment, and closed the door.

Murtagh heard Thorn's deep rumbling laugh through his Eldunari hanging around Murtagh's neck. _This is going to be entertaining, I hope._

Murtagh laughed back. _Did I just hear something about a dog? _

The door suddenly opened and two young children stepped out, staring at the hunched over and kneeling Murtagh.

Murtagh smiled at them and said, "Woof."

* * *

Suzan looked disappointed. She turned to her brother, pouting. Sebastian was disappointed too, but he wasn't going to let it show.

"At least it barks," he shrugged, walking back inside. Suzan peered at the stranger more closely.

"Can we keep it anyway?" she asked, as her mother came back from behind the stairs.

"Who is it?" she asked. Akai quickly pulled the girl away from the beggar.

"No one," she said, as she stepped outside and kicked the poor dragon rider in the chest. The force knocked him down the steps to the road.

Akai quickly locked the doors and ushered the children from the foyer. She claimed to be fetching the Lady's clothes, and ran out of the side door.

* * *

_She kicked me!_ coughed Murtagh, as he recovered from his fall. _It really hurt too. That child is very strong._

_ A dragon rider is hurt by a child? Maybe there is some truth to the rumor Galbatorix heard, _pondered Thorn. The calm breathing Murtagh received from him signaled that Thorn had been taking a nap. Murtagh felt bad about waking him.

_ Well, he wouldn't send me so far from the castle if there was a possibility that it wasn't true. I wonder why he didn't just order the girl to be brought to him instead of sending me all the way out here. There must be a reason…_

_ Maybe the king finally lost his mind. I knew he was crazy, but now I think he's lost all his sanity._

_ So what do I do now? _asked Murtagh, confused about what to do next. He then spotted the girl who opened the door coming around the house. She beckoned to him violently, as if her life depended on it. Murtagh dusted himself a little as he approached her. When he was close enough, she suddenly grabbed him and ran to the back of the house.

The sun had just set, so no one in the house could see them from the window. Murtagh was dragged into a small cabin close to a vegetable garden. She sat him on the floor.

"I'm sorry I kicked you," she said, grinning. She was clearly not sorry. "It's just, I guess you're a newbie at this, but begging at someone's front door is begging for trouble." Murtagh simple glared at the maid who looked even younger up close.

"How… old are you?" he asked, tentatively. The girl reacted with a mildly surprised look.

"You won't even ask my name first? You start with age? Well, that's fine. I'm fifteen years old and my name is Akai. Nice to meet you. What's your name, and why are you begging at my Lady's door after sunset? Do you want to die? Or… Maybe you're not a beggar?" she asked, pleasantly, eyeing his concealed sword.

"You have sharp eyes, for a normal kid. You shouldn't have brought me here. My name is Murtagh… I apologize for the inconvenience, but you have to come with me."

"You're not very bright if you think I'm scared of your sword. Because I know you are hungry and you can't cook. Therefore, you won't hurt me for fear of my poisoning your food," said Akai, feeling accomplished.

Murtagh simply said an amused, "oh?" but felt a sharp pang of remorse within himself.

"Anyway, I must prepare dinner… Oh, and the Lady's clothes…" she said, running around the cabin gathering supplies. Murtagh watched her as he conversed with Thorn.

_This is a lot harder than I thought… _he said, mournfully.

_Is she so strong that you can't capture her?_

_What? No, of course not! It's just… she's completely innocent… If she were mean, at least then it'd be easier…_

_Well, she kicked you, _offered Thorn. Judging by Thorn's lack of interest, Murtagh sensed that something had happened.

_Did something come up? _Murtagh asked, as Akai ran past him. It seemed her preparations for dinner were already done. They must have been made earlier. She loaded them on a trolley-like cart and carted them swiftly out of her cramped house.

"Don't you dare steal anything from my cabin," she said, menacingly. "I know where everything is. If one thing is missing, I'll shave your head. I'll talk to you when I get back. If your story entertains me, maybe I'll feed you. Oh, and don't try to leave, the door locks from both outside and in." With that she quickly wheeled the food out of the cabin and carried a bucket of clothes on her back. She closed the door with her foot. Murtagh heard a lock click from the outside.

_What's the point of locking it from outside? That makes no sense… _He turned his attention to Thorn. _So what is it? _asked Murtagh, again.

_Gremlin visited me again. Since you are gone right now, Gremlin will be training me instead of you._

_That's interesting, but what can he possibly teach you?_

_Well, he said that I will start practicing swimming. Apparently the resistance of the water will help tone my muscles and make be faster in flight. But that's not the problem._

_No it's not… So what is the problem? _Murtagh's curiosity was thoroughly peaked, but he was still concerned by tone of Thorn's voice. It sounded somewhat worried.

_If Shruikan isn't teaching me, maybe Galbatorix had taken him somewhere… Shruikan was being especially rebellious lately… I shudder at the thought of what Galbatorix might do to him._

Murtagh could not think of anything comforting to tell his distraught dragon. Shruikan was as precious to Thorn as Gremlin was to Murtagh. Other than Thorn, Gremlin was the only companion Murtagh had in Galbatorix's castle full of spies.

_I suppose we can just hope that he will be fine, _said Murtagh, lamely.

Murtagh got up and headed for the door.

_It's not that I have any doubts or anything, but she _is _the right girl, right? Maybe we're looking for her older (and maybe prettier) sister?_

_You would not ask if there wasn't any doubt, would you? _asked an all too familiar voice. It seemed Galbatorix had already returned.

_Yes, you found the right girl, _continued the black king. _And if you're looking for a woman, any woman from my court is fine. There's no need for you to fall for a mere maid._

Murtagh blushed, both from embarrassment and anger. _Is there really any reason for _me _to be doing this? _he demanded, his temper flaring. _There are so many other ways for you to kidnap a little girl, why do _I _have to do it?_

_Are you yelling at me? _asked the king in mock disbelief. _Has this petty distance made you forget my wrath? Or should I remind you through Thorn?_

Murtagh's anger immediately dissipated, leaving him painfully sobered. _N-no… I understand… My... _Lord_… _

_Your next orders are to take the girl and return as soon as possible. And I will be the judge for what 'as soon as possible' means. _And with that, the king's presence disappeared from Murtagh's mind link. Murtagh clenched his fist and launched a blow towards the door, trying giving his frustration and despair a nonliving target.

It was at that moment that Akai decided to return. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was an enraged beggar trying to punch her for no apparent reason. However, she was quite prepared.

Murtagh saw the girl open the door and was about to pull back his fist when he felt his legs somehow pulled out from under him. In a flash, Akai jumped on his chest and held a machete to his throat.

"Trying to do away with your gracious hostess, is it? I admit, I did treat you with contempt, but that doesn't mean you can punch me!" she said, threatening him with the knife.

Murtagh was genuinely surprised that such a young girl could get him on his back. He was going easy on her anyway, but it just wasn't normal. He held her by her shoulders and easily lifted her off of him like a cat.

"Th-that's not what I meant to do… I was just… Why would you be so trusting to let me in your house anyway?" asked Murtagh, suspiciously.

"Well… there is a storm coming. Very soon, too! And it's the worst storm in years. It might flood. I would feel guilty, I guess, if you were drowned in the storm."

_Oh, is that so? _thought Murtagh, morbidly. He kept his thoughts away from Thorn. _Maybe it would have been better to let me die. Better for you, me, and the rest of the world…_

"And you're really young and you have a nice sword, so I thought maybe you were a prince. But if you're the son of the evil King, then I would regret serving you for the rest of my life."

"I'm not his son!" stated Murtagh, flatly. _Although I'm probably just as bad…_

"Okay, well… good! I guess I'll feed you now," said Akai, as she prepared some plain bread and cheese. She gave Murtagh almost twice as much food as she gave herself.

"I don't know when this storm will start, but when it ends, I want you to leave. I'm not going with you anywhere; I have too much work here to leave," she continued. And as if by magic, a flash of lightening lit up the small cabin, and a roaring, deafening thunder filled their ears. A cacophony of violent rain soon accompanied it.

Murtagh ate his meal in silence. Although he was starving earlier, a terrible queasiness took over his appetite. He ate all of his food anyway, to be polite.

The storm raged on outside and the thunder shook the small cabin.

_Murtagh… _came Thorn's voice. _Galbatorix wishes to speak with you._

_ Well he doesn't need to ask, does he? He never has before._

_ Well, I heard him coming down the hall, so I thought I'd give you a heads up…_

A few seconds later, Galbatorix's maniacal tones reverberated in Murtagh's skull.

_There is a lovely storm ravaging the land where you are, is there not? What a perfect chance for you to complete your mission, _he said, once again demanding the impossible.

_Do you understand how bad this storm is? I'm surprised the cabin hasn't flown away yet. There's bound to be a flood soon; there's no way I can grab this girl and make it back to the castle without one of us getting hurt, if not dying, _argued Murtagh. He knew it was futile, but there was always that one chance.

_Is that so? Have I overestimated you, or have you forgotten what large resources you have through me? You _will _leave tonight, and you will be back by tomorrow afternoon. I don't care if you're tired, comfort is not a part of being a dragon rider, _said Galbatorix, calmly. He left abruptly before Murtagh could ask for advice.

Murtagh looked over at Akai. She was at a basin washing the dishes. She sighed heavily.

"I can't get back to the house to collect the dishes because of this stupid storm," she complained, as another bolt of lightning raced across the sky, momentarily illuminating the night. "I hope they don't make the house to dirty by the time I can get back."

Murtagh slowly got up. Frustration bubbled inside of him. He wanted nothing more than to tear out his hair. Although he hated every fiber of his being for doing so, a mission is a mission.

"You won't need to worry about that anymore," he said, approaching her from behind. _I suppose she'll never agree to leave, so there's only one choice._

Quick as a cat, Akai grabbed a nearby knife and flung it towards the King's slave. Even though she was fast, however, Murtagh was faster. Incomparably faster. In the blink of an eye, he had Akai unconscious and slung across his shoulder. He wrapped his waterproof cloak around his captive and braced himself for the storm.

* * *

**A/N: I made this chapter more dense than it should have been. It sounds somewhat rushed, so I apologize. I'm rereading the series for now so I can make Murtagh more IC. I noticed, though, that Eragon and Murtagh have distinctly different personalities, yet their dialogue is very similar. Maybe Murtagh keeps his mouth shut a little more... Any suggestions about what should happen next? I already know where I'm going with this (probably the same direction all the other Murtagh POV fanfics are going...), but I'm pretty most people wouldn't like it... R&R please?**


	6. Chapter 6

Thorn listened to Murtagh's thoughts intently. The storm that Murtagh was headed into daunted him. By the angle of the wind-bent trees, Thorn knew that the wind would be strong enough to blow _him_ away. He wondered how Murtagh would be able to get through it with his living 'package'. He was more concerned about Murtagh's mind, however.

_Murtagh, clear your mind. You cannot brave this storm if your mind boils more violently than it does, _said Thorn, desperately trying to help Murtagh through his challenge. Murtagh tried his best to wait in the safety of the cabin longer, but somehow his legs moved on their own.

Thorn felt the icy wind brutally bite his rider, ignoring what clothes he still had on.

Murtagh did not answer Thorn's plea, as he was too busy fighting the storm. Through his Eldunari, Thorn sent as much strength as he could to aid Murtagh in his plight.

By sheer willpower, he reached the main house. The house rested on a hill, meaning Murtagh had to descend to the road.

_Thorn, _said Murtagh. Even though he was speaking through his mind, his voice sounded strained, as if he needed more air. _At this rate, how long do you think it will take until the road below floods?_

Thorn answered quickly, understanding that Murtagh's mind was at its limits. _Not long. Actually, it wouldn't be surprising if a flash flood just came and wiped out the entire street. Most of the houses would be fine, but the road with be strewn with gods knows what. You should continue without descending until the last moment possible to make sure that no flood will wash through. But hurry!_

Murtagh gasped and panted with the effort it took to walk against the wind while carrying a tall girl. His feet soon became numb. The _pitter patter _of the steady rain put him in a deep trance, and his mind traveled back to a few weeks before…

* * *

"Murtagh, come here," commanded Galbatorix, albeit gently. "It has come to my attention that you seem rather unhappy as of late."

_Really? _thought Murtagh, sarcastically. Another pointless massacre of an army of young and old male farmers from the day before was still fresh in his mind.

Galbatorix looked at him and sighed. "Must I break into your mind again? Or will you answer me?"

Murtagh glared at his King. "You didn't ask a question."

"Alright, I'll make this easier. Why must you be so miserable?"

"Even if you close your eyes it shouldn't be so hard to see! Other than the fact you torture me daily, and bind me in oaths so that I can't even breathe unless you want me to, it's not obvious? Really, why, _why_, do you kill everyone? You entertain me with your silly idea of bringing back the Dragon Riders and prosperity to _all _of Alagaesia, but all you're doing is—"

"Murtagh!" said Galbatorix sharply. His eyes glimmered bright red for a moment. "Murtagh," he said again, more calmly and smoothly. "How many times must I explain myself? … No matter, I will do it as many times as you need."

Murtagh glared at him and tried to say something, a piercing retort or an insult, but somehow his mouth wouldn't move. Galbatorix stepped closer; Murtagh stepped back in response. As he looked at Galbatorix's face, Murtagh remembered all the pain he had put Thorn and him through. A wave of nausea overwhelmed him for a moment, and his legs threatened to fail him, but he regained himself.

He knew what Galbatorix was going to tell him and he focused his minds on all the innocent lives the King had stolen. He remembered all the nights he spent writhing in agony beside his dragon because of the Black King. He clenched his teeth and vowed to himself that he wouldn't fall for the King's honeyed lies.

Galbatorix smiled, as if he knew what Murtagh was thinking without having to invade his thoughts. _He did guess my true name correctly, after all, _thought Murtagh. Galbatorix slowly extended his hands towards Murtagh and held his face softly. The contact burned Murtagh's cheeks and caused his eyes to smart.

"Maybe it's because you're so young, you don't know, you don't understand. You don't understand what it means to be a rider. Murtagh! This land is swamped with corruption, and you and I are the only ones who can clean it.

"The age of the riders ended a long time back, I being the sole survivor," he said, mournfully. Murtagh's world suddenly swirled as he was transported to the world that Galbatorix saw. He tried desperately to keep his focus, but he was swept away in the torrent of Galbatorix's emotions.

He saw a wretched land full of corruption and oppressed civilians. The biggest oppressor, however, was not within the empire. The worst kind of evil, as Galbatorix saw, was the Varden whom were led by the "dark witch" Nasuada. Normally Murtagh's heart would quiver at the thought of her, but through Galbatorix's corrupted mind anything seemed evil. She stood at the head of a vicious army with her arms crossed and her head high, as it usually was. But her dark eyes were narrow and full of hate. Deep in his gut, Murtagh knew she wanted him dead.

"You can see it, can't you, Murtagh? It needs to be cleansed. You and I are the only ones who can accomplish this. But if I must have you as an enemy, Murtagh, I will not hesitate to bring you down," said Galbatorix, his rumbling voice reverberating through Murtagh's soul. The experience left Murtagh speechless and his face was blank. In his head he could not find what he held against the King anymore. Galbotorix stepped closer and gently steadied the rider's head with his large, gloved hands. His blood-red eyes glittered triumphantly and malevolently, but Murtagh could only see glory that the King wanted him to believe in.

"Swear to me, Murtagh," said Galbatorix, "that you will never become my enemy." The words fell from Murtagh's lips before he could think. He felt the magic words bind him. Galbatorix did not reply, but chuckled, as he released his slave and walked away. Had Murtagh been looking at the King's face, he would have seen the insanity clearly and permanently etched on it.

* * *

A freezing wind howled through the trees and brought Murtagh back to his senses. His anger from the memory flew away with it as his squinted through the darkness. He had no idea where he was, but trusted that Thorn would not let him get lost. As he heard the neighing of horses nearby, he knew he had reached the stables where he left Syzel. He looked down the hill into the valley where the stables were. All he could see was the moon reflecting back at him.

_The entire village was flooded! _exclaimed Murtagh. A small sadness resonated from Thorn's Eldunari.

_Yes, it did, unfortunately, _replied Thorn. His "voice" was low and solemn. Murtagh remembered the poor bread-stall man and wondered if he was still alive.

_People die so easily, _he thought. Thorn agreed.

Murtagh adjusted the unconscious girl on his shoulder has his mind felt around for Syzel's. He found the faithful mare calm and close-by. He beckoned her towards him.

The mare nimbly moved in the shadows, her hooves barely sinking in the boggy ground. She nosed him in the dark.

_She should be able to carry us both… _thought Murtagh, stroking the mare's wet back, _but she doesn't have a saddle…_

He looked around in the debris that was washed up the hill by the flood. Horse supplies were strewn everywhere, including many saddles of all quality and size. He quickly selected one that looked right and threw it on the horse while balancing Akai across his shoulders. He tightened the soaking saddle and hoped that it wouldn't be too uncomfortable for the mare. As he studied her legs, he realized that she was most likely a war-horse. He felt a little more confident.

He hoisted Akai across the saddle when she suddenly regained consciousness.

"Ah!" she said, surprised, before returning to her senses. "You kidnapped me! No, let me go!" she screamed. She began to kick her legs.

Murtagh kept silent. The freezing, pounding, rain and the extreme fatigue made him quite lethargic. He wanted nothing more than to curl up beside Thorn's warmth and sleep. He quickly tied Akai's legs together when she suddenly gasped.

"Everything is underwater! Everything is drowned!" she cried. She looked around desperately. Murtagh also felt a pang of regret for the victims. He thought about the old man and his sick son.

"Look! They're there," she exclaimed, triumphantly. She tried to point, but her hands were tied. Murtagh looked into the direction she nodded to. He could see on a far hill a few colors. As he concentrated, he could make out many dark shapes. He realized that it was the villagers running into a shelter.

Akai looked relieved as Murtagh felt surprised.

_Not only are the villagers safe, she can see so far away. I can only see that far thanks to magic, but she…_

Akai smiled as she continued. "Good thing I warned them soon enough. I told them about this storm about a week earlier. Only a few people believed me, but they built enough shelters for everyone. At least I accomplished something before I was kidnapped," she said. She smiled haughtily while glaring at Murtagh even though she was tied up and slung across a horse. Murtagh kept silent but he wondered whether she knew how much her words were hurting him.

_This feels so much like when the twins captured me… _though Murtagh forlornly. Thorn replied, also feeling guilty.

_At least you're not torturing her, _he offered, but it barely made his rider feel any better.

_She doesn't even know where she's going. If she knew she was being taken to Galbatorix, she would not be so calm. _Murtagh swiftly mounted the horse. The young mare was large enough to fit the both of them on her back. She didn't even flinch under the extra weight. Murtagh adjusted Akai so that the jerks and bounce of the horse ride would not harm her. She bit his finger.

"Ow!" hissed Murtagh. He doubted Akai could hear him in the storm. Akai smiled at him as she tried to wriggle out of his grip. For a girl, she was strong. She was also rather tall for her age, which made it harder to keep her balanced. Murtagh found the only solution to be to knock her out. Too exhausted to use magic, he settled for a more conventional method. She was soon sound asleep.

Murtagh guided the mare out of the boggiest of the ground to an area where her hooves won't sink too much. He started at a gallop in a direction that Thorn indicated. Murtagh and his captive rode all night until they escaped the storm.

* * *

**A/N: R&R? I have no comment for this chapter. It didn't really have much story in it... I'll try to write a better chapter next. This chapter is only for smooth story flow.**


	7. Chapter 7

Murtagh finally arrived at the city of Uru'baen two days after he was supposed to. By the second day Akai miserably submitted to Murtagh's will. Her sudden lethargy and loss of spirit filled Murtagh with bitter remorse, but soon he could hardly feel it over his physical and emotional exhaustion.

Akai was so tired she didn't bother opening her eyes when they entered the city's gate. Murtagh was rather relieved that she wouldn't know where she was. Even if he felt bad for bringing her to Galbatorix as an experimental subject he couldn't allow her to escape and he preferred not to put her to sleep again. Restricted movement and successive impacts to the head must have its side effects.

The weather seemed to catch his mood, as the sky was cloudy and dreary. Murtagh was not surprised; the sun had no right to shine when he felt like he did.

He clutched Syazel's reins and walked faster. As the distance to the castle was not much, Murtagh decided to give the poor horse a rest. Akai sat straight in the saddle with Murtagh's cloak pulled over her face. He couldn't tell if she was sleeping or not. Her hands and feet were tied to the saddle tightly, attaching to various holes in the saddle. Murtagh looked ahead again; there was no point in worrying about her. Her fate was already sealed.

A few hours later Murtagh approached the gates to the looming black home of Galbatorix. He took a nervous breath before walking straight past the armed guards who didn't even look at his all too familiar face. As he walked down a rather long and eerie path to enter the building, he felt a strong familiar gust of wind.

_Thorn! _said Murtagh, surprised. _You've… gained some weight? _Murtagh paused in his hesitant walk and took a good look at his dearly missed dragon. Before he could go to greet him, an oily voice stole into his mind.

_Still taking your time, _dear_ Murtagh? Are you waiting for me to escort you inside? …Thorn, Shruikan was not done with your lesson; leaving suddenly is not very courteous. _Galbatorix paused in his interruption and sighed.A perverse sense of amusement emaciated Murtagh's mind. _I don't understand why I need to constantly monitor you both. Have I been too easy on you as of late? The Varden are planning to invade anytime soon. Now Murtagh, if you would please._

Murtagh clenched his jaws until he almost shattered his teeth. If Thorn was not trapped in Galbatorix's claws, then Murtagh would have enjoyed his week-long vacation away from his King even if he was half-starved and almost unbearably fatigued. Silent and numb, Murtagh turned away from his dragon and brought the young victim to her new home. Akai's head lolled slightly and Murtagh assumed that she just fell asleep from exhaustion and he felt no pity. Something happened to his heart whenever Galbatorix prevented him from meeting Thorn.

Murtagh slowly shuffled to the large and heavily guarded doors that led into the oppressive structure. He spotted an oddly humped figure cloaked in black also trying to gain entry to the black castle. Murtagh identified it as one of the repulsive Ra'zac. He shivered involuntarily as he heard the Ra'zac's voice.

"You dare deny me entry?" it hissed. Murtagh could smell the rotting flesh and tried not to vomit. The guard he was arguing with paled in horror. He tried to reply while shaking his head. Murtagh realized that the guard was obviously new and inexperienced. Murtagh fumbled with his sword and tried to hurry towards the group before the Ra'zac could do anything.

He was much too late. The Ra'zac grabbed the guard's neck with an inhuman hand and slammed the poor man against the gate. The surrounding guards backed away fast and took off.

"I'll let your corpssse be a messssage to thosssse who dare ssstand in my way!" it half growled and half hissed.

The guard's eyes widened enough that Murtagh was surprised that his eyes did not fall out, while an odd appendage came out of the Ra'zac's mouth and plunged into the hollow of the man's throat. The guard opened his mouth to scream, but instead of sound, a gushing waterfall of blood fell from his lips. The Ra'zac withdrew from the man's throat and greedily drank the blood from the guard's mouth, making odd clicking noises.

Murtagh could only look on, horrified. His fear and hatred of the Ra'zac burned within his bones so much that it felt frozen. He couldn't move until well after the Ra'zac had finally gained access to the castle.

Since the guards had all left, Murtagh wasn't sure about what to do with Syzel. He decided to take the horse inside with him.

As he headed inside, Murtagh glanced down at the guard's corpse. In the few minutes that the Ra'zac was with the guard, it managed to suck out all of his blood, leaving a corpse of literally skin and bones. The face was so skeletal that the eyes looked ridiculous and out of place, like two berries randomly resting on a rock. Murtagh was forced to cover his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting. He was suddenly glad that Akai had slept through the traumatic event. Death was possibly one of Murtagh's worst fears, although he wouldn't let anyone know that.

Murtagh walked deep into the maze of the castle that was all too familiar to him. He unexpectedly encountered his mentor examining something on the floor with excruciating concentration. Gremlin turned and examined the floor near Murtagh's feet without even noticing his pupil. Murtagh coughed a little catching Gremlin's attention.

"You've returned," he stated, in a deep, smooth voice, slightly lifting his head. Murtagh could barely see his mentor's jawline, which was smooth, narrow, and cleanly shaven. He resisted the urge to lift the large hood off of his mentor's head.

Murtagh's heart was still beating wildly from the previous scene and his knees threatened to give out underneath him. He took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking to his mentor. Somehow the air given off by the Ra'zac would not leave his system and slowly everything in his vision blurred and blacked out.

* * *

"…ta…, …tagh… Murtagh!" said a deep and annoyed voice.

"…Gremlin, go away," groaned Murtagh. He tried to brush his mentor aside when visions of the Ra'zac filled his mind and a terrible rotting smell filled his nostrils. He clutched Gremlin's sleeves.

"The Ra'zac, they killed that… It smelled it had a graveyard in its mouth… It—" Murtagh was abruptly cut off as he vomited whatever acid and bile was left in his stomach through the long journey. Gremlin deftly dodged the regurgitated mass and patted Murtagh's back as he coughed up more bile and saliva. When he was done, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked up.

He was moved to Thorn's indoor quarters, probably carried by Gremlin, and he was disappointed to see that Thorn was still held back in a lesson with the King's black dragon. In fact, the only other living thing in the room was Gremlin, who was standing by the door.

"I sent the girl with a maid to shower and get dressed," said Gremlin, answering Murtagh's unasked question. "You should do the same; you smell almost as bad as the Ra'zac. Thorn is doing whatever Shruikan is asking of him, so you will probably see him later today after Galbatorix has… a word with you."

Gremlin turned to leave before suddenly remembering something. "The Ra'zac, by the way, has already left since you've been out. And you should dispose of those boots; there's blood on them from the Ra'zac's… _meal…_" Murtagh glanced at his boots and gagged. He imagined Gremlin looking at him sympathetically through the darkness of his hood but the mysterious man was already gone when he looked up.

Groaning a little, Murtagh stood up and swayed a little. As he headed for the bath he searched his neck for Thorn's eldunari and found it carelessly draped down his back. He gently rubbed the smooth, red surface.

_Thorn, the Ra'zac came by! Do you know what they were after?_ asked Murtagh. He unintentionally sent Thorn images of the Ra'zac and soldier. Thorn growled a little.

_I'm not sure Murtagh, but they are foul and vicious creatures, I would rather you stayed away from them. Have you eaten yet? _asked Thorn. His voice was concerned but distant, as if he was distracted by something. Murtagh figured he interrupted some kind of lesson or training.

_Not yet. When will you be back? _asked Murtagh.

_I'm sure Shruikan won't take too long. I'll be there by the time Galbatorix is done talking with you, _said Thorn, breaking his connection with Murtagh. Murtagh smiled slightly as he hurried for the baths.

* * *

Murtagh normally bathed in Thorn's giant pool outside in his outdoor nest. Although it was outdoors, the place was off limits to everyone else except Galbatorix and Gremlin. Murtagh walked to the edge of the pool, leaving a trail of outdoor gear behind him. He figured he would clean it up later. As he stood at the pool, stripping himself of his shirt, he curiously sniffed it and smiled, somewhat embarrassed. The scent of a week of hard travel with no shower was quite vile. He tossed it aside.

_There's no way that shirt can be worn again, _he thought, slipping into the lukewarm pool. The water could barely permeate the layer of dirt and grime all over Murtagh's arms and face. He grabbed a nearby rag and rubbed off the grime with a little soap. Murtagh was squeaky clean in a few moments.

He emerged from the bath and returned to Thorn's indoor quarters. Murtagh's room was connected to Thorn's indoor nest so Murtagh could walk right in without the worry of surprising young maids with his nudeness. Murtagh left a trail of water in his wake. He walked in to his room and fell on his bed without bothering to wipe off his body.

He lightly napped and dreamed about the long journey he and Eragon took across the Hadarac desert and through the Boer mountains to take Arya to the healers in the Varden. He sighed with lament as he remembered when his life had a purpose and he was able to make his own decisions. Although he did not want to go to the Varden, he made the choice to stay with Eragon. He did not regret meeting and fighting with the Varden, however, because he was able to fight an enemy he chose instead of fighting the enemies the King chose for him. He also met Nasuada there. He was not quite sure what it was about her that intrigued him, but ever since he met her, he thought of her very often. He felt a kind of awe and deep respect for her, although he felt that respect rapidly deteriorating as he knew she wanted him dead and that she was now his enemy, whether he liked it or not.

Thinking about the Varden, and especially about Nasuada, made his gut twist; they were his enemy and he would never be able to fight with them as he once had. It was almost like his life was a joke. He lived his whole life as his father's captive. When his father finally died, he became the King's pet, and when he was barely able to smell the sweet, heavenly breeze of freedom, he was pulled back and tied into more shackles than ever before. When he finally found a purpose in life, Galbatorix managed to snatch it away from him and fill his hands with the dirty deeds of killing innocent civilians.

Murtagh awoke to this thought with a sour taste in his mouth. He rolled out of his bed dried off and put on a simple pair of pants, a black tunic, and a pair of sturdy leather boots, yawning magnificently. He heard Thorn arrive outside and ran to greet him.

"Thorn!" he yelled aloud as he ran out to the outdoors. He stopped abruptly as he examined Thorn. Murtagh then realized why he had thought Thorn gained weight. Thorn had grown much larger since he had been out. The size of his dragon surprised him and somewhat unnerved him. Obviously Galbatorix deemed it okay to magically augment Thorn's body without consulting Murtagh, or even asking Thorn. Murtagh figured Galbatorix sent him on his recent mission so that he would not be around to argue when Thorn was changed. This infuriated the rider. Along with a larger body size, the swimming lessons seemed to have done its job. Thorn's body was thick and muscled. His wings were also larger and more muscular making him look like small, red, version of Shruikan. Thorn cocked his head at his rider quizzically.

_Do these changes disappoint you? _asked Thorn.

Murtagh thought a little before he answered. _It's not as if I don't wish for you to become stronger. Far from it. But this is not natural. You were supposed to grow up like a normal dragon, but Galbatorix somehow… _Murtagh clenched his teeth and let out a frustrated growl. _He didn't even ask, did he? Not that it would matter, Galbatorix would still us however he wanted. _

Thorn sighed and put his head on the ground. _I know why you're frustrated. The king shows us the most blatant disrespect and we cannot do anything about it. I've never been free, Murtagh, but I know how much this humiliates you. Dragons weren't born to be used like this either. In this sense, I feel that you are alike to dragons. You were born to be free. _

Murtagh looked up at his large and glittering dragon. Even the cloudy sky could not blemish the beauty of his scales.

_Thank you, Thorn. That means a lot, _said Murtagh, smiling slightly. Thorn raised his head level to Murtagh's. Murtagh stepped closer and embraced Thorn's nose tightly. He softly kissed the smooth red scales on Thorn's snout.

_And next time you bathe in my pool, _said the dragon, with a light demeanor, _please clean up after yourself. _Murtagh laughed. He would have started cleaning right then and there, but he received a message from his oppressive King.

_Murtagh, are you done? I would like you to come to my throne room _at once. _And make sure Gremlin brings the girl,_ commanded Galbatorix, darkening Murtagh's mood. Murtagh's smile vanished and he tightly headed for the door. He took one last look at Thorn, who prepared himself for a nap, and left to see Akai's new fate.


End file.
